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McCann likely to miss first two weeks of regular season

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As Brian McCann progressed through the first couple weeks of January, he held out hope that he could be ready by Opening Day. But now that Spring Training has arrived, the Braves catcher seems to have accepted the fact that he could miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season.

"It's not going to do me any good to come back if I'm not 100 percent," said McCann, who underwent right shoulder surgery on Oct. 16.

Braves orthopedic surgeon Dr. Xavier Duralde inserted anchors into the posterior portion of McCann's shoulder and repaired a labrum tear that was more significant than expected. The prognosis was that the six-time All-Star might not be ready to return for six months.

With that timeline in mind, McCann is hoping to be ready when the Braves open a two-game series against the Royals on April 16.

"Hopefully, I can make that day," McCann said. "Whatever they tell me to do, I'm going to do it and I'm going to be in here doing it. Whenever I can whip a baseball as hard as I can and then wake up the next day without any pain, that is probably when I'll be able to play."

McCann's rehab activities remain limited at this stage of the recovery process. He completed three sets of 25 throws from a distance of 60 feet on Sunday. McCann's work from an offensive perspective has been limited to hitting balls off of a tee.

McCann will learn more about his schedule after he and his teammates undergo their annual preseason physicals this weekend.